The managing director of Jaguar is defending the luxury car company after it faced online criticism for a controversial rebranding decision.

Jaguar last week debuted its new look ahead of its anticipated transition to an all-electric fleet. The brand appeared to replace its iconic leaping cat image with a more minimalist logo.

A new Jaguar advertisement featured bright colors and figures dressed in unusual outfits but did not include any cars. The clip drew widespread criticism on social media, even garnering attention from X owner Elon Musk.

Rawdon Glover told the UK’s The Times on Saturday that the move is part of a new strategy to compete with German car brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which have long achieved consistent annual sales in the millions.

“We’re our very best when we copy nothing,” Glover said, referencing one of the brand’s new slogans. “Look — we’re unveiling the brand at an art fair, rather than a motor show. This is Jaguar being bold, doing things differently.”

Glover also noted the brand’s new approach “is not about diversity and inclusivity.” He argued it instead represents “breaking moulds, living vividly, and creating objects of desire that are distinctive and different.”

He described the online reaction to Jaguar’s new look as a “blaze of intolerance” in a comment to the Financial Times.

Meanwhile, Jaguar continues to engage with commenters on its X posts. Its latest post appears to show a curved row of slats.

“Are you making pianos now?” one user asked. “We clearly struck a chord,” Jaguar replied.

Another user commented, “I do hope this isn’t going to be a disappointment.”

“One thing is for sure, it will make an impact,” Jaguar said.

“Nice,” another said. “What is it?”

“Can’t give it away yet,” Jaguar responded.

When reached for comment Tuesday, a spokesperson for Jaguar acknowledged that the company’s rebranding “has attracted attention and debate.”

“As proud custodians at such a remarkable point in Jaguar’s history, we have preserved iconic symbols while taking a dramatic leap forward,” the spokesperson said. “The brand reveal is only the first step in this exciting new era, and we look forward to sharing more on Jaguar’s transformation in the coming days and weeks.”

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